Ropes, ropes, ropes and even more ropes. But wait! Before you stop reading this review and say, "Oh it's just another rope game." Think again!

Gameplay

Burn the Rope by Big Blue Bubble is a puzzler in which, you... well, burn the rope. In each of the 80 levels, you have to burn a pattern made of intertwining ropes, and to burn them, you simply touch the part of the rope where you want the flame to start, and then you have to rotate your device completely around and around to ensure the flame stays upright and burning along the rope. If you keep the flame burning without consuming the rope, the flame will die and it's game over. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong.

The challenge lies in when a burning rope intersects another, which creates two or more flames, and you have to control them all or let the others die and keep one going. And then as the game progresses, different elements are introduced into the gameplay, such as colored bugs that change your flames color, and colored ropes that can only be burnt by changing your flame to that color. Yeah, it gets pretty tough. But it's a really fun and addictive kind of tough that'll keep you coming back for more.

You earn Bronze, Silver or Gold medals for each level depending on how much percentage of rope you burn. This is also where it gets extremely hard if you want to attempt to even try and get those evasive Gold 100% rope burnt medals.

That's all there really is to the gameplay, but there's a lot of content and a lot of replay value for this seemingly simple puzzler.

Graphics & Sound

The graphics are very simple, but are very good for a game like this. All there is to the graphics are the rope patterns, which are well done. Other elements such as the bugs and the backgrounds have nice designs and look great.

Sound effects and music are done well also, with various tracks that don't really stand out much, but don't take away from the gameplay either. Also, there's a very catchy theme song at the main menu which will probable get stuck in your head for a while. iPod music, however, is not supported at this time.

Conclusion

Burn the Rope is a very unique, surprisingly addicting and very, very challenging puzzle game. If you're a fan of puzzle game, or just looking for something different, and are ready for the challenge, be sure to check out Burn the Rope.

Ratings (scale of 1 to 5):

Graphics: - 4.5 - Simple graphics, yet done well look good.Sound: - 4- Good sound effects and music. iPod music not supported. Controls: -4.5- Great controls, but be sure you have a good grip on your device while playing this, as you have to rotate it fully. Gameplay: - 4.5 - Addictive, unique and challenging gameplay, but the steep difficulty curve might be too hard for the casual gamer.

Playing Hints and Tips:

Make sure you know where each rope has a sharp curve, and be sure you move the flame just right along those sharp curves, or else your flame will die.